Claims
- 1. A method for monitoring operation of an information distribution system, comprising:
receiving a directive to monitor a particular channel at a particular terminal; sending a command indicative of the particular channel and terminal to be monitored; receiving contents for the particular channel from the particular terminal; capturing the received content; and reporting the captured content.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reported contents are used to verify delivery of contents from the information distribution system.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the reported contents are used to verify operation of a user interface at the particular terminal.
- 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the received contents are captured as one or more video frames.
- 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the received contents are captured as a video sequence.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the captured contents are reported as a bitmap.
- 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the directive is received as part of a regular monitoring schedule.
- 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the command is sent to a remote control unit.
- 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular terminal is selected from among a plurality of terminals.
- 10. A monitoring system operative to monitor operation of an information distribution system, comprising:
one or more terminals, each terminal operative to receive commands and provide requested contents; and a control unit configured to
receive a directive to monitor a particular channel at a selected one of the one or more terminals, send a command to the selected terminal, receive contents for the particular channel from the selected terminal, and capture and report the received content.
- 11. The monitoring system of claim 10, further comprising:
a monitor and control unit operatively coupled to the control unit and configured to provide the directive to monitor the particular channel at the selected terminal.
- 12. The monitoring system of claim 11, wherein the monitor and control unit is further configured to provide a set of directives to test user interaction at the selected terminal.
- 13. The monitoring system of claim 11, wherein the monitor and control unit is further configured to provide a set of directives to verify proper delivery of contents on a plurality of channels to a plurality of terminals.
- 14. The monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the command directs the selected terminal to tune to the particular channel.
- 15. The monitoring system of claim 10, further comprising:
a remote control unit configured to receive the command from the control system and direct the selected terminal to tune to the particular channel.
- 16. The monitoring system of claim 10 and including a plurality of terminals of a plurality of terminal models.
- 17. The monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the control system includes
a media capture unit configured to capture the contents received from the selected terminal.
- 18. The monitoring system of claim 17, wherein the media capture unit is configured to capture the contents received from the selected terminal as one or more video frames.
- 19. The monitoring system of claim 17, wherein the media capture unit is configured to capture the contents received from the selected terminal as a video sequence.
- 20. A monitoring system operative to monitor delivery of contents in an information distribution system, comprising:
a plurality of terminals, each terminal operative to receive commands and provide requested contents; a monitor and control unit configured to provide a directive to monitor a particular channel at a selected terminal; and a control system configured to
receive the directive from the monitor and control unit, send a command to the selected terminal, receive contents for the particular channel from the selected terminal, and capture and report the received content.
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional Application Serial No. 60/253,417, entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INTERACTIVE PROGRAM GUIDE AND ADVERTISING SYSTEM,” filed Nov. 27, 2000, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60253417 |
Nov 2000 |
US |